Automatic rotating book-rest



.L +u nu e h S S t e e h S 2 (No Model.)

W. E. FULLER. AUTOMATIC ROTATING BOOK REST.

No. 594,151. Patented NOVA 23,1897.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. E. FULLER. AUTOMATIC ROTATING BOOK REST.

Patented Nov. 23, 1897.

Wir i'iy/ i zzzzmj i iyz r A llm'ney Ar-Ear me:

WILLIAM E. FULLER, OF NEW. HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC ROTATING BOOK-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,151, dated November23, 1897.

Application filed March 20, 1897. $erial No. 628,432. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. FULLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofOonnecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Rotating Book-Rests; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to improvements in revolving book-restswhich aresupported in connection with a tilting section, the parts being soarranged that the tilting of the table from its inclined position to alevel causes the book-rest to automatically rotate and stop at thecompletion of a half-revolution through the intervention of theparticular mechanism, all as will be hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,Figure. 1 is a plan view of a revolving book-rest and tilting tableconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewon the line 2 2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 ofFig. 4. Fig. 4 is a plan view with the revolving top or book-restremoved. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the revolving book-rest removed.

The'numeral 1 designates the base-board, to each side of which aresecured strips 2 2,

. which are inclined from their center downward to each end, thesestrips formingasupport for a tilting table 3, hinged at the top orhighest point of the side strips 2 2. This manner of mounting the tableallows it to be tilted in opposite directions, and the inclined surfacesof the strips provide supports for the lower part of the tilting table.

Upon the opposite sides of the base-board 1 and within the strips whichsupport the tilting table are located hollow standards 4, havingbase-flanges, by which they are secured to the said base-board. Thesehollow standards are provided on opposite sides with vertical slots 5,and at one side of each slot is formed a projecting flange 6, the loweredge of which is inclined or curved toward the standard.

lifting-rod 7, which has a sliding movement therein, this lifting-rodhaving catches 8,

which project through the slots 5 in the hollow standards. At oppositesides of the standards 4 are mounted short standards 9, forming afulcrum for levers 10, the outer ends of which are bifurcated to engagea loop or cross-bar 11, carried at the under side of the tilting table.The ends of these levers are adapted to be thrown into engagement withthe catches on the lifting-rods 7, and also engage the guides or flanges6 of the hollow standards, to be moved thereby out of engagement withsaid catches. The inner ends of these levers are brought against thestandards, to provide for the proper engagement with the catches andflanges, by means of springs 12, at-tached'to the outer ends of saidlevers and to the under side of the tilting table. It may also bementioned that the members of the short standards between which thelevers are fulcrumed do not embrace the levers too closely, but permit aslight movement, in order to provide for the inner ends of the leversriding upon the inclined guides or" flanges on the hollow standards. Bythis particular construction and arrangement of levers andvertically-movable lifting-rod it will be noted that the said rod willbe lifted when the table is tilted in either direction, for when thesaid table is moved from one inclination to the opposite inclination thelevers connected to the upper end of the table will raise the rods untilthe table assumes a level, when the inclined flange will move the saidlever out-of engagement with its catch, the rod dropping to its lowestpoint of movement. It will thus be seen that the lifting-rods 7 areelevated to the limit of their movement when the table is brought froman inclination in either direction to a level, this construction andarrangement being for the purpose hereinafter specicured to the base,the latter having an open ing therein surrounding this standard. In thisopening is mounted a movable collar 14, the upper edge of which isshaped to present cam-surfaces and 16, said collar having a projectingarm 17, which limits the throw or movement of the collar or cam byengaging pins 18 and 19, extending from the base-board. A spring 20 isconnected to the arm and to one of the pins for the purpose of throwingthe said arm to the limit of its movement in one direction andconsequently moving the collar or cam to its normal position.

It will be noted that the tilting table is provided with a circularopening, and within this opening the revolving top or book-rest 21moves. This top or rest is provided centrally with a tube 22, hingedthereto, as shown ,to permit the said tube or book-rest to have a tilting movement with respect to the tube. The under side of the top is alsoprovided with fiat springs 23 23, which bear against the tube and act tohold the top or restlevel with respect thereto. This tube is providedwith a collar or annular flange 2i and below this flange withprojections having friction-rollers 25. The top is adapted to be placedin engagement with the tubular standard 13 by placing the tube over saidstandard, and when in this engagement the friction-rollers contact orbear upon the cam-surfaces of the collar 14 and the annular ring 24coperates a catch device, hereinafter described, which holds the tiltingtable level while the book-rest rotates. This catch device consists of aswinging plate 26, hinged to the baseboard 1 and having a projection 27at its upper end, which engages a rigid hook 28, depending from thetilting table. This plate is spring-actuated to insure its engagementwith the hook, and is operated to release said hook by means of a lever29, fulcrumed upon a standard attached to the base-board and extendingto the tube 22, where it engages the under side of the annular flange2%, the outer end of said lever being inturned to engage an inclinededge of the hinged plate 26. The revolving top or bookrest is providedat its under edge with blocks 30, and the tilting table is provided withinwardly-projecting blocks or rests 31, and adjoining one of theseblocks or rests is a pivoted stop-block 32, held in position bya springand adapted to engage the blocks on the under side of the revolving top.

The device herein shown and described is particularly adapted for use insupporting a.

I to a level, where it is held by the stop or catch.

The book-rest is then automatically released .by the rods being trippedand makes a halfturn, riding upon the cam-surface of the collar, itsmovement releasing the catch, which permits the movement of the table tobe continued to place the register at the proper inclination facing theguest. In returning the register to its normal position the operationjust described is repeated either by the guest lifting upon the lowerend of the tilting table or the clerk depressing the higher end. It willbe understood, of course, that any one perfectly familiar with theoperation of the device could manipulate the same without the employmentof the catch, for when the tilting table reaches the level it could beheld manually until the top completes its movement.

From this description of the operation it will be understood that therods 7 are elevated by the tilting table to raisethe book-rest, so thatit will be so positioned at the highest point of the cam-faces that whenthe said rods are released the weight of the book will cause it torotate by riding upon said cam-faces, being stopped by the blocks and bycontact with the shoulders formed at the lower ends of the cams, thecatch preventing the tilting table being moved until the movement of thebookrest has been completed. The projecting arm of the collar or camacts to turn the collar so that the highest part of the cam-faces willbe under the rollers on the support or tube of the rotatable book-rest.The movement of the book-rest is limited each time by the stopblockswhich are carried by the book-rest and tilting table, the springactuatedone preventing backward movement or recoil.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. 111 a revolving support and tilting table for books, the combinationwith a base board or support, side strips supporting the tilting table,a disk or revolving book-rest supported by the base-board, hollowstandards carrying vertically-movable rods, levers connected to the rodsfor moving them upward when the table is brought from a tilting positionto a level, a swinging plate or catch engaging the tiltin g table, and alever for releasing the catch operated by the rotation of the booksupport or rest, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. A revolving support and tilting table for books, comprising abaseboard supporting the tilting table having a circular openingtherein, a standard supporting a disk or re- Volvin g book-rest withinthis open i-ng,a swinging plate engaging the catch carried by thetilting table, a lever operating the swinging plate to release the samefrom the catch, and means carried by the revolving disk or booksnpportfor operating the lever, substantially as shown and for the purposedescribed.

3. In a revolving support and tilting table for books, the combinationwith the baseboard and tilting table thereon, the tilting table having acentral opening therein, of a standard locate'd at the center of thebaseboard, a revolving book-rest or disk having a tube which engages thestandard, said tube having an annular flange and projections withantifriction-rollers, the collar at the base of the standard havingcam-surfaces; together with devices for raising the disk or book-sup--port when the table is brought from an inclination to a level,substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

4. In a revolving support and tilting table for books, the combinationwith the baseboard and tilting table, the latter having a centralopening, of a disk rotatably supported in the opening, hollow standardssecured to the base and having vertical slots with inclined flanges onone side of the same, rods sliding vertically in the standards andprovided with catches which project through the slots, levers fulcrumedon the base so that their inner ends will engage the catches andinclined flanges, the opposite ends of said levers being connected tothe tilting table; together with a hinged plate supported on thebase-board engaging a catch carried by the table, a lever for releasingsaid hinged plate, and means carried by the rotatable disk orbook-support for operating said levers, substantially as shown and forthe purpose described.

5. In a revolving support and tilting table for books, the combinationwith the base and tilting table supported thereby, said table having acentral opening, of a rotatable disk supported in said opening andhaving a depending tube With an annular flange and proj ections belowthe same, a collar having camfaces upon which the projections ride,alever supported on the base and engaging a swinging catch at one endand the annular flange at the other; together with mechanism for raisingthe rotatable diskwhen the tilting table comes to a level, substantiallyas shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. FULLER.

, l/Vitnesses:

ALBERT H. YOUNG, JOHN T. SLoAN.

